This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119 of prior filed International Application Number PCT/US95/07292, filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty in the United States Receiving Office on June 6, 1995, and entitled PORTABLE HANDHELD BARCODE SCANNER AND RF ID TAG INFORMATION GATHERING DEVICE, which itself claimed priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119 of a prior filed U.S. patent application entitled PERSONAL SCANNER/COMPUTER FOR DISPLAYING SHOPPING LISTS AND SCANNING BARCODES TO AID SHOPPERS, filed Jun. 24,1993, Ser. No. 08/082,257, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,424,524 on Jun. 13 1995.
The invention pertains to the field of digital scanning, computing, data collection and data processing devices. More precisely, the invention pertains to the field of devices for assisting shoppers in creating shopping lists, scanning bar codes on products to be purchased etc., keeping running totals of amounts spent and items from shopping lists that have been picked up and numerous other useful functions.
One of the problems with shopping today is that it is inconvenient to constantly make comprehensive shopping lists every time a shopping trip is to be made, and, without a shopping list, it is often difficult to remember all the items that need to be purchased. Also, it is difficult to know how much money is being spent compared to a budgeted amount as items are placed in a shopping basket. During crowded shopping times, checkout times at grocery stores for example can be long especially when the shoppers ahead in line have many items.
It is also inconvenient to do comparison shopping for large numbers of items either for the same store over time or as between multiple stores at the same time. A study of changes in prices over time in a favorite store would require the user to write down the prices of large numbers of items and date the lists and keep them and then write down the current prices for the same items, preferably in the same order as the previous lists and compare the lists. Likewise, a comparison of prices between different stores would require physically visiting the different stores and writing down the prices of many items in each store, preferably in the same order in each store.
Further, with the multitude of sources of coupons for discounts on items on sale, it is a time consuming and tedious process to scan the local newspapers etc. for coupons, cut them out and bring them to the store that published the coupons to take advantage of the savings offered thereby.
Therefore, a need has arisen for a device that can ease or eliminate the foregoing problems.